Apogee Enterprises, Inc. has announced that it has acquired the assets of privately-held Sotawall Inc., a leading designer and fabricator of high-performance, unitized curtainwall systems for commercial construction projects in North America, for approximately $135 million.
It will operate as Sotawall Limited within Apogee, which provides distinctive value-added glass solutions for the architectural and picture framing industries.
“We are very pleased to acquire Sotawall, Inc., a premier curtainwall supplier with unique products and a company that we know well since many of its projects have incorporated our architectural glass,” said Joseph F. Puishys, Apogee chief executive officer. “With the acquisition of this 25-year-old business, which generates annual revenues of approximately $100 million from supplying curtainwall for construction projects in Canada and the United States, we are driving our growth strategies by both increasing our geographic presence and adding to our product offerings.
“Sotawall’s focus on delivering curtainwall solutions that result in smooth, streamlined, on-budget projects yields attractive operating margins,” said Puishys. “Its EBITDA margins will be accretive to Apogee and our architectural framing systems segment, and it will be accretive to Apogee’s earnings in fiscal 2018.”
“We are pleased to be joining forces with Apogee, a strong company that is also known for its leadership and integrity in commercial construction markets,” said Juan Speck, president, owner and founder of Toronto-based Sotawall, Inc., who will continue to lead the business. “We look forward to working with Apogee to capitalize on opportunities to grow Sotawall Limited.”
“Sotawall Limited will contribute to Apogee’s continued revenue and margin growth in commercial construction markets that are anticipated to grow through our fiscal 2020, based on our internal visibility and external metrics,” said Puishys. “We’re especially pleased that Juan and his leadership team, who have cultivated a culture of innovation and quality consistent with the strength of Apogee’s other brands, will continue to lead Sotawall Limited.”
Apogee funded the acquisition from cash and its credit facility. Sotawall Limited will be an eighth independent operating unit in the Apogee portfolio and reported as part of the architectural framing systems segment.
Apogee management will discuss the acquisition during its third-quarter earnings conference call tomorrow morning, Thursday, December 15 at 9 a.m. central time. To participate in the earnings teleconference, call (866) 525-3151 toll free or (330) 863-3393 international, access code 27081806. To listen to the live conference call over the internet, go to the Apogee web site at http://www.apog.com and click on investors, then overview and then the webcast link on that page.